D-Day for Three Peaks Teams from Avon Fire & Rescue
Service, 6 June 2009
After 8 months in the planning, D day had finally arrived for 17
firefighters from Avon Fire & Rescue Service. While veterans of
WW1 were commemorating 65 years since the Normandy landings, when
4000 allied servicemen lost their lives, firefighters honoured
their achievements and memory by setting out on a very minor
mission in comparison. The time was just after 7 a.m. on 6 June
2009. The weather had a grey ominous feel, which was
corroborated by national headlines later in the day, when 30
people,competing in a race, had to be rescued in
Snowdonia.
The team of firefighters set out along
the Pyg track with the direct aim of reaching the summit of Mount
Snowdon within 2 hours. Under normal circumstances this would
not be an unusual achievement; however four of the party were
donned in their 57lb individual compliment of full
firefighting kit and breathing apparatus. As one observer
mentioned just before the start, 'it would be even more
impressive if all four men were gastight throughout the
ascent'. That was the main challenge for these four
firefighters, who also happened to be the record holders of 2007
for the Three Peaks Challenge. They were Mike Collin, Nick
Baldwin, Pat Foley and Rob Atkin. The rest of the support team were
tasked as sherpahs to carry an additional 12 compressed air
cylinders.
As the ascent progressed, it soon became evident that the
readings of air consumption on the breathing apparatus
equipment was increasingly unreliable. The first cylinder
change was made after 40 minutes into the ascent. For the second
phase of the ascent, the weight of the kit and the effect of
working so hard, while gastight, was having a sapping effect on the
strength of the team of 4 infront. The second cylinder change took
place just before the sheep pen below the summit, which allowed a
much needed hydration stop. The changing of cylinders was further
hindered by ice freezing over the connections, delaying proceedings
by about 10 minutes. The summit was eventually reached in 1 hour
and 58 minutes. Heavy mist and plummeting temperatures ensured
just a short stay on the summit, without any time to dwell on
the team's achievement. As planned the works train arrived to take
all the heavy equipment down to Llanberis, leaving most of the
party to run down the Llanberis track as useful training for
'The 3 Peaks Challenge' later in the month.
Everyone coped really well with the conditions. As the organiser of
this hair-brained scheme, I would have preferred to have run up the
mountain in half the time, as we do in competition, rather than to
fight for air through the medium of breathing apparatus sets. In
addition to the best wishes from Sir Ranulph Fiennes and David
Hempleman-Adams, I would personally like to congratulate everyone
for their teamwork and good humour in accomplishing our
objective safely.
At the end of the day, the overriding intention of the stunt was to
raise funds for the two charities; 'Help for Heroes' and 'The
Fire Fighters Charity'. Four companies were very generous and
donated £200 or more and as a result had their company
logo printed on the team's banner. They were namely; IT
Imagine Support, Bristol Uniforms, Scott Health & Safety, and
W.D.S. Associates Ltd. Overall a figure of
about £4000 is the sum of the funds raised to date.
If people wish to donate, the securest way to donate is via
www.justgiving.com/michaelcollin1 [Help for Heroes] or
www.justgiving.com/michaelcollin [The Fire Fighters
Charity] . Alternately, people can make out a cheque to 'Three
Peaks Mount Snowdon Appeal, sorting code 30-98-06, account number
02444299.